Quoted: Michigan State
10/13/2021 3:58:00 PM | Football
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After two straight road games and a bye week, the Indiana football program returns to Memorial Stadium to host No. 10/9 Michigan State on Saturday (Oct. 16) at noon. Earlier this week, the Hoosiers talked to the media and below are quotes from coordinators Nick Sheridan and Charlton Warren, along with student-athletes Stephen Carr and Devon Matthews.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conferences, while video of the full coordinator media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Nick Sheridan | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
On reevaluation of offense during bye week…
NS: Very thorough evaluation of where we're at and where we've fallen short both as coaches and as players. Then, try to modify and adjust. You're not reinventing what you've done, but certainly willing to modify what you've done. Obviously, we haven't had the success that we're capable of, so you spend a lot of time reflecting, evaluating, looking for ways to improve, looking for ways to coach better, tell our players to play more confidently, faster and allow them to be the players we know that they are. There was a lot of that, both schematically, situationally, play calling, you name it, we evaluated it all. We spent a good portion of the time throughout last week doing that while also preparing for Michigan State.
On why he thinks Jack Tuttle can be successful…
NS: I think Jack's preparation [is a big reason]. His work ethic is as good as I've been around. I certainly think he has the physical ability and tools to be a successful quarterback. He's shown that in our conference. I would just say that his work ethic and preparation is as good as I've been around. So that gives you confidence as a coach that he will be prepared and ready to go.
On what he wants to see from the offensive line…
NS: I would say just the unit as a whole has been inconsistent and we haven't produced good enough. The person that is most responsible for that is me, not the players. I think there are a lot of quality players in that room that can play better, and that's my job to make sure that we're allowing for that. Whether it be the schemes, the teaching, the preparation as a staff throughout the week to give them the confidence to play to their capabilities, which I think there's a lot more for that group, a lot more that they're capable of. That's my responsibility, it's not theirs. We've got to put them in better positions throughout the week of preparation to give them the confidence so that they can play up to their capabilities. I think they have shown at times to play really well. They have just been inconsistent like our whole group has and that's not their fault. It's not on the players, it's on me. We're searching and we're trying to get them to feel confident so that they can let it rip. I think when they have done it that they've done a nice job.
Charlton Warren I Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
On keeping guys from forcing defensive plays…
CW: We do want to force it. We do want to force the issue when it comes to takeaways and negative yardage plays. That is part of the DNA of what we do every day from a practice standpoint. We want to force the issue within the scheme of our defense and be disciplined in our approach. You can't do someone else's job and I think a lot of times you look at the style of defense as you match routes and things, when you play with more vision in certain situations you get takeaways. The takeaway in Penn State was a vision coverage. When you match routes a lot of times everybody is covered a lot of times and the quarterback has to scramble. So, when you play a defensive style that mixes both of those you're going to get some with the more vision, you're going to disrupt the ball and cover guys in more match-coverage concepts and now that we are a blend of both I think you see completion percentage is down, takeaways might be down, but when you play more vision, takeaways go up, but there is more chance to complete the ball. So, it's just a little bit of a give and take on defense and we do want to force the issue. But we want to do it in a disciplined way."
On Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III…
CW: Tremendous vision and patience. He doesn't just plug a gap; he lets the offensive line work from him. He is eight yards deep in the backfield sometimes in that pistol set, but he lets the o-line work for him. He gets to three, four yards to the line of scrimmage, and makes an explosive cut and then accelerates at full speed. He's very patient, lets the o-line work, makes a cut, and when he makes a cut, it's full tilt. He has the speed to bounce it and outrun you, and he has the power to run through you or spin out of a couple tackles. That makes him an extremely versatile back. I think more of his patience, his vision, and his ability to explode off a cut are really elite.
On how the defense had handled the run…
CW: I think we've done a good job in spurts of not giving up big runs. The thing that you feel like when you get a bye week is that you look at what the explosive runs were and the ones that popped in my head were the big run versus Iowa, the big run versus Penn State. In those games, those are big chunk runs of 40-plus yards. They did happen, but if they didn't happen, you feel pretty good in those games about your run totals. I think our guys have done a great job with their effort and their passion running to the ball. I think we've tackled extremely really well so far this season. We can't give up the explosive, or what I call the catastrophic runs. Make them earn it. Make them go three, four, five [yards], don't give up 50 in one pop. That puts you at a disadvantage on defense. And so, to me I think we've done a decent job against the run, squeezing it, getting TFLs, guys running to the ball. We can't give up explosive and catastrophic runs during games that give the offense the advantage and puts them on the other side of the sticks.
Stephen Carr | RB | Gr.+
On how the shift from scout team to two-deep can be...
SC: I think it's very different … When you come and practice with the ones, I feel like it's a different type of attention to detail, especially for the guys coming from the scout team. They have a lot to prove physically, not mentally. Obviously, they know the plays, but they have a lot to prove physically. For me, it's a lot about setting the example for them. All they really have to do is follow suit.
On what example he's trying to set
SC: In terms of being locked in every play, I want them to be able to do that. I'm not a finished product yet either, so when I'm testing them, asking them certain questions, I want to make sure that they ask me questions, too. Not that they're concerned about the play, but they want to make sure I'm on my stuff. That kind of levels it out I would say, it's kind of a mind game to make sure that they feel like they're [in the moment], and to make sure they ask me questions to make sure I know my stuff. Then it goes to the physical side; I want to make sure they get a good feel for how they're supposed to hit the hole because you can see it all day on film but until your body actually goes through it, you'll finally get that feeling like 'oh ok it feels good to actually hit the hole hard and follow my read the way it's supposed to be read.' I think that's pretty much the biggest part, getting a good feel for it. That's the biggest part of the game, if you don't get a feel for it, it's going to be hard to do it the first time.
Devon Matthews | DB | Sr.
On the first five games for the secondary...
DM: I actually feel like we've been playing pretty solid on defense. I just feel we got to lock-in because if the other team doesn't score, we'll win the game. We just have to stop them from scoring points, that's really all. I feel like our defense is pretty good, but yeah, everyone's got to get healthy. I feel like everyone will be good by the time game-time comes. We'll be good for sure. It doesn't matter, because if they are not ready to go, the next guy up has to step up. That's all it is, you have to step up and be ready to play, and I feel like we have those players that can do that.
On if this week is a proving point that Indiana football is back...
DM: I wouldn't say it's a proving point because we all know what we came here to do. This is what we came here to do, to play against the best. I feel like we just need to go out there execute, do our jobs, and win games. We just have to win, that's it. That's why I feel the bye week was helpful for us, it gave us a break, a time to relax and get our minds focused. I feel like we'll be good now. It's a whole new part of the season, the second half. We are not worried about the past, we are worried about the future and now.
On getting his nickname "Monster" and the memories he has...
DM: [I got the nickname] When I was eight years old, so I've had that name for a while. I have a lot of memories, when I was eight years old, I got [the nickname] from hitting a quarterback and making his helmet fall off. Then after that, it's been history. I've been making big hits all my life, making big plays, monster plays. So yeah, I feel like I fit the name well.
Below is a partial transcript of the press conferences, while video of the full coordinator media session can be found on the right sidebar at IUHoosiers.com.
Nick Sheridan | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
On reevaluation of offense during bye week…
NS: Very thorough evaluation of where we're at and where we've fallen short both as coaches and as players. Then, try to modify and adjust. You're not reinventing what you've done, but certainly willing to modify what you've done. Obviously, we haven't had the success that we're capable of, so you spend a lot of time reflecting, evaluating, looking for ways to improve, looking for ways to coach better, tell our players to play more confidently, faster and allow them to be the players we know that they are. There was a lot of that, both schematically, situationally, play calling, you name it, we evaluated it all. We spent a good portion of the time throughout last week doing that while also preparing for Michigan State.
On why he thinks Jack Tuttle can be successful…
NS: I think Jack's preparation [is a big reason]. His work ethic is as good as I've been around. I certainly think he has the physical ability and tools to be a successful quarterback. He's shown that in our conference. I would just say that his work ethic and preparation is as good as I've been around. So that gives you confidence as a coach that he will be prepared and ready to go.
On what he wants to see from the offensive line…
NS: I would say just the unit as a whole has been inconsistent and we haven't produced good enough. The person that is most responsible for that is me, not the players. I think there are a lot of quality players in that room that can play better, and that's my job to make sure that we're allowing for that. Whether it be the schemes, the teaching, the preparation as a staff throughout the week to give them the confidence to play to their capabilities, which I think there's a lot more for that group, a lot more that they're capable of. That's my responsibility, it's not theirs. We've got to put them in better positions throughout the week of preparation to give them the confidence so that they can play up to their capabilities. I think they have shown at times to play really well. They have just been inconsistent like our whole group has and that's not their fault. It's not on the players, it's on me. We're searching and we're trying to get them to feel confident so that they can let it rip. I think when they have done it that they've done a nice job.
Charlton Warren I Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
On keeping guys from forcing defensive plays…
CW: We do want to force it. We do want to force the issue when it comes to takeaways and negative yardage plays. That is part of the DNA of what we do every day from a practice standpoint. We want to force the issue within the scheme of our defense and be disciplined in our approach. You can't do someone else's job and I think a lot of times you look at the style of defense as you match routes and things, when you play with more vision in certain situations you get takeaways. The takeaway in Penn State was a vision coverage. When you match routes a lot of times everybody is covered a lot of times and the quarterback has to scramble. So, when you play a defensive style that mixes both of those you're going to get some with the more vision, you're going to disrupt the ball and cover guys in more match-coverage concepts and now that we are a blend of both I think you see completion percentage is down, takeaways might be down, but when you play more vision, takeaways go up, but there is more chance to complete the ball. So, it's just a little bit of a give and take on defense and we do want to force the issue. But we want to do it in a disciplined way."
On Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III…
CW: Tremendous vision and patience. He doesn't just plug a gap; he lets the offensive line work from him. He is eight yards deep in the backfield sometimes in that pistol set, but he lets the o-line work for him. He gets to three, four yards to the line of scrimmage, and makes an explosive cut and then accelerates at full speed. He's very patient, lets the o-line work, makes a cut, and when he makes a cut, it's full tilt. He has the speed to bounce it and outrun you, and he has the power to run through you or spin out of a couple tackles. That makes him an extremely versatile back. I think more of his patience, his vision, and his ability to explode off a cut are really elite.
On how the defense had handled the run…
CW: I think we've done a good job in spurts of not giving up big runs. The thing that you feel like when you get a bye week is that you look at what the explosive runs were and the ones that popped in my head were the big run versus Iowa, the big run versus Penn State. In those games, those are big chunk runs of 40-plus yards. They did happen, but if they didn't happen, you feel pretty good in those games about your run totals. I think our guys have done a great job with their effort and their passion running to the ball. I think we've tackled extremely really well so far this season. We can't give up the explosive, or what I call the catastrophic runs. Make them earn it. Make them go three, four, five [yards], don't give up 50 in one pop. That puts you at a disadvantage on defense. And so, to me I think we've done a decent job against the run, squeezing it, getting TFLs, guys running to the ball. We can't give up explosive and catastrophic runs during games that give the offense the advantage and puts them on the other side of the sticks.
Stephen Carr | RB | Gr.+
On how the shift from scout team to two-deep can be...
SC: I think it's very different … When you come and practice with the ones, I feel like it's a different type of attention to detail, especially for the guys coming from the scout team. They have a lot to prove physically, not mentally. Obviously, they know the plays, but they have a lot to prove physically. For me, it's a lot about setting the example for them. All they really have to do is follow suit.
On what example he's trying to set
SC: In terms of being locked in every play, I want them to be able to do that. I'm not a finished product yet either, so when I'm testing them, asking them certain questions, I want to make sure that they ask me questions, too. Not that they're concerned about the play, but they want to make sure I'm on my stuff. That kind of levels it out I would say, it's kind of a mind game to make sure that they feel like they're [in the moment], and to make sure they ask me questions to make sure I know my stuff. Then it goes to the physical side; I want to make sure they get a good feel for how they're supposed to hit the hole because you can see it all day on film but until your body actually goes through it, you'll finally get that feeling like 'oh ok it feels good to actually hit the hole hard and follow my read the way it's supposed to be read.' I think that's pretty much the biggest part, getting a good feel for it. That's the biggest part of the game, if you don't get a feel for it, it's going to be hard to do it the first time.
Devon Matthews | DB | Sr.
On the first five games for the secondary...
DM: I actually feel like we've been playing pretty solid on defense. I just feel we got to lock-in because if the other team doesn't score, we'll win the game. We just have to stop them from scoring points, that's really all. I feel like our defense is pretty good, but yeah, everyone's got to get healthy. I feel like everyone will be good by the time game-time comes. We'll be good for sure. It doesn't matter, because if they are not ready to go, the next guy up has to step up. That's all it is, you have to step up and be ready to play, and I feel like we have those players that can do that.
On if this week is a proving point that Indiana football is back...
DM: I wouldn't say it's a proving point because we all know what we came here to do. This is what we came here to do, to play against the best. I feel like we just need to go out there execute, do our jobs, and win games. We just have to win, that's it. That's why I feel the bye week was helpful for us, it gave us a break, a time to relax and get our minds focused. I feel like we'll be good now. It's a whole new part of the season, the second half. We are not worried about the past, we are worried about the future and now.
On getting his nickname "Monster" and the memories he has...
DM: [I got the nickname] When I was eight years old, so I've had that name for a while. I have a lot of memories, when I was eight years old, I got [the nickname] from hitting a quarterback and making his helmet fall off. Then after that, it's been history. I've been making big hits all my life, making big plays, monster plays. So yeah, I feel like I fit the name well.
Players Mentioned
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